Credit Valley Conservation’s Rattray Marsh Conservation Area

Credit River

The Credit River is almost 90 km long and meanders through nine municipalities in southeastern Ontario, eventually draining into Lake Ontario

Biodiversity Hotspot

The Credit Valley watershed is home to:

264 bird species

79 fish species

55 mammal species

1420 plant species

Natural Cover

Slightly more than 1/3 of Credit Valley watershed is covered by natural vegetation – plant communities that have not been planted or maintained by humans.

Peel Region

Credit Valley Conservation

Peel Region’s core EDRR Network contact is Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), a community-based environmental organization established under the Conservation Authorities Act, dedicated to protecting, restoring and managing the natural resources of the Credit River Watershed. Established by the provincial government in 1954, CVC is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario. As the primary scientific authority for the watershed, CVC works in partnership with municipal governments, schools, businesses and community organizations to deliver locally- based environmental programs.

Credit Valley Conservation has demonstrated notable leadership in addressing invasive species concerns through their creative programs spanning the Credit Valley watershed. For instance their Conservation Youth Corps (CYC) program enables high school students (14 years +) to participate in a range of interesting stewardship activities. Students can volunteer 1 week of their summer break and participate a range of stewardship activities including fish sampling, invasive plant removal and tree planting. Another notable program CVC uses to help address invasive species in their watershed is their Rattray Marsh Steward program. Here CVC volunteers can sign up to adopt a small portion of one of the most ecologically important conservation lands in the watershed. Volunteers receive training on invasive plant identification and removal techniques, and are asked to help support CVC’s efforts by monitoring their plot for new species invasions.

Peel Region is a biologically diverse area prone to invasion by a number of new invasive species. Connected to the Great Lakes by Lake Ontario, intersected by some of Canada’s largest highways and home to Canada’s busiest airport (Pearson International Airport), Peel has a number of potential pathways for invasive species to enter the Region.

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Who We Are

The Early Detection & Rapid Response (EDRR) Network Ontario project aims to train and equip volunteers with the skills and resources needed to better detect and reduce invasive species in Ontario, one community at a time.